Sewing machine attachment



P 9, 8 1.. ROSENBLOOM 2,850,997

SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Fiied March 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VENTOR 450/ WA /5400f? ATTORNEY Filed March 2, 1954 P 9, 1953 L. ROSENBLOOM 2,850,997-

SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Unite 2,850,997 SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Application March 2, 1954, Serial No. 413,591 7 9 Claims. or. 112-252 This invention relates to sewing machine attachments and more particularly to an attachment for separating and delivering chained articles, such as patch pockets or the like. 7

In the stitching of chained articles, as the patch pockets for overalls, it is conventional. to employ a sewing machine having the usual presser foot overlying a tooth reciprocating work feeder and having two or more needles for-simultaneously stitching a hem, for example, at the top edge of the patch pockets. In such machines the patches are usually fed to the needles by hand through a hem folder of conventional design and the two rows of stitches are simultaneously formed, the pieces coming out of the machine chained together by the stitching, there being a space of about A of an inch between adjacent articles in the chain. In conventional practice the chain of articles piles up on the floor behind the sewing, machine, and thereafter the linking stitches are cut manually by scissors, this operation taking nearly as long, as the stitching operation itself.

The attempts in the prior art to accomplish the separating and feeding operation automatically have not been marked with success. The devices employed have generally been cumbersome, difficult to install, uncertain in operation and'generally inefficient. The device of the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved sewing machine attachment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine attachment which may be easily installed on a standard sewing machine. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for feeding and separating a series of articles which have been sewn together in a continuous chain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a feeding and separating device which is operated from a standard sewing machine in a novel manner.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a unique combination of a severing and feeding means for separating and advancing a series of stitch-connected articles.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel sub-combinations of the feeder-separator combination of the invention.

rates Patent These and other objects of the invention will be more I fully appreciated upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure lis a front elevation view, partly diagrammatic, of the feeding and separating mechanism of the invention associated with the conventional sewing machine elements,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation view of the same structure, Figure 3 is a plan view of the invention, Figure 4 is' a sectional view of the cutter and cutter operating mechanism taken along line 4-4 in the direction of the arrows-in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a sectional detail taken along line 5-5 in the direction of the arrows in Figure 3 and is illustrative the clipper and feeder mechanisms are driven by a suitable arrangement from the standard needle bar of the sewing machine. A reciprocatory motion is imparted to the clipper mechanism and an intermittent rotarymotion is imparted. to the feedmechanism. An inclined guide is mounted on the bed or base of the sewing, machine to direct the' chained articles under the feeder mechanism.

Referring now to Figure l, a head cover plate 10 provided with mounting holes 11 is substituted for the existing head plate on astandard sewing machine. The particular embodiment illustrated is intended for use with a Union Special. machine, Class 54200. However, it is evident that by slight adaptation of the parts the inven tion may be employed in conjunction with or incorporated integrally in any standard sewing machine. The needle bar 12 mounting oneor more needles 13, and theconventional presser foot 14 and toothed feeder mechanism. 15 have been indicated in phantom. Referencenumeral 16 designates the base of the machine.

A crosshead driving lug 17, better seen in Figures 3 and. 4, having a bore 18 for connection with the conven: tional needle bar driving lever, has an additional bore 19 through which the needle bar passes, and is rigidly connected to the needle bar as by a pair of set screws 20. The crosshead lug is provided with'a pair of arm portions 21 for slidably encompassing a rectangular crosshead element 22, better seen in Figure 4, whichis pivotally mounted on a pin 23 passing through a vertical slot 24 in thehead cover plate 10. Pin 23 is connected to a bell crank 25 whichhasa fulcrum comprising a bolt 26 (see Figure 1) and a nut 27 (see Figure 2). One arm of the bell crank supports a pin 28 upon which is pivotally -mounted a head member 29 formed integrally with a bolt 30 (see Figures 1 and 4). A turnbuckle 31 connects bolt 30 with a similar lower bolt 32 formed integrally with a head member 33. The length of the arm comprising elements 30, 31 and 32 may be adjusted by turning the turnbuckle 31, which is provided with a Wrenchengaging portion. 34. Head member 33 is pivotally mounted ona pin 35 supported by a second bell crank 36. Bell crank 36 has a fulcrum comprising a bolt 37 and nut 38. The depending arm-of bell crank 36' is pro vided with a circular bearing surface 39 which engages a corresponding. bearing surface 40 on a reciprocable cutter bar. member 41 mounted for lateral movement on a pair of pins 42. The reciprocatory cutter bar is provided with a series of depending teeth 43. Pins 42 and bolt 37 are supported on a stationary cutter member 44 which is provided with .a corresponding. series of teeth. 45 and which in turn is supported on a block. 46 by a pair of Allen head bolts 47 (see Figure 4). It will be noted that the teetb.45 of. the stationary cutter member depend slightly below the teeth 43 of the reciprocatory cutter member. The reason for this difference will appear hereinafter.

Block 46 is mounted on head plate 10 by a pair of hexagonal headed bolts 48 (see Figure 1) which are provided with a pair of suitable washers 49 and which pass through a vertical slot not shown in the head cover plate 10. By making the length of this slot exceed the distance between the bolts 48 the block 46 may be shifted .through its central portion.

up or down with respect to the head cover plate thereby varying the vertical placement of the cutter assembly.

The cutter assembly is provided with a pair of sheet metal members 50, 51. Member 50 has a straight lateral, or forwardly projecting, extension 50a at its upper end and a curved lateral, or forwardly projecting, extension 50b at its lower end and is retained by bolt 37 The resiliency of member 50 is relied upon to urge the movable cutter bar 41 into engagement with the stationary cutter bar 44. The bias exerted by member 50 may be adjusted to maintain the cutter bar members in juxtaposition but to prevent any substantial resistance to the motion of the movable cutter bar. The member 50 further has a tail piece 50c extending rearwardly from its lower end that helps to guide the work pieces passing under the cutter to the crotch between the ramp 81 and the feed roller 76, hereinafter described. Member 51 is provided with a V- shaped lateral extension at its lower end which may be slightly canted as shown. This extension may be formed with a plurality of teeth (not shown) which may be arranged slightly forwardly of the corresponding teeth of the stationary cutter member. In the form shown, the teeth of element 51 are inclined downwardly and termin-ate in juxtaposition to the beveled tips of the cutter teeth 45 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The sloping faces of the teeth on elements 51 and 44 thus deflect downwardly the leading edge of the work piece being stitched, insuring that it will not buckle against the forward face of the cutter element 44, while the notches between the teeth on the member 51, aligned with those between teeth 45, allow the chaining threads to be drawn upwardly between the cutter teeth, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The second arm of bell crank 25 supports a pin 52 upon which is pivotally mounted a rectangular crosshead member 53 which is arranged to slide within the encompassing arms 54 of a crosshead lug 55. Elements 52, 53, 54 and 55 are substantially similar to elements 17, 21, 22 and 23 described previously. Crosshead lug 55 may be formed integrally with a plate member 56 which forms a portion of the overriding clutch of the feeder mechanism. This clutch has been generally designated by reference numeral 57 and includes a casing 58 which may be rotated, under certain conditions, with respect to the plate 56. Plate 56 supports a rotor 59 (see Figure having a plurality of recesses 60 in which a plurality of balls 61 are held by retaining springs 62. Casing 58 is rigidly connected to a shaft 63 as by a screw 64 shown in phantom. Shaft 63 is pivotally mounted in a bore formed in the head cover plate 10.

The clutch assembly further includes a cylindrical bearing member 64a which is urged between the casing 58 and a flattened bearing surface on a projection 65 by a leaf spring 66. Spring 66 may be mounted on projection 65 by a bolt 67 and the projection is in turn mounted upon the head plate by an Allen head bolt 68 (see Figure 1). Projection 65 may be notched to grip the edge of the head plate 10 to prevent rotation with respect thereto.

The rear end of shaft 63 pivotally supports an enlarged cylindrical sleeve 69 (see Figure 3) which may be formed integrally with a crank arm 70. A strengthening flange 71 may be provided if desired. The extreme rear end of shaft 63 is provided with a driving sprocket wheel 72 rigidly mounted thereon and having a series of radial teeth. Pivotally mounted on the end of crank arm 70 is a driven sprocket wheel 73 provided with corresponding teeth. A driving chain 74 connects the sprocket wheels for unitary rotation. Sprocket wheel 73 may be mounted on a shaft 75 (see Figures 1 and 2) on the other end of which a feed roller 76 may be splined as by a pin 77 and a notched core 78 (see Figure l). A coil spring 79 anchored to the head cover plate, as by a bolt 80, is connected at its opposite end to flange 71. The spring is wrapped around sleeve 69 and in Figure 2 exerts a counterclockwise torque on the crank arm 70 and associated arts. p A11 incline or ramp 81 provided with locating pins 82, one of which is shown in Figures 1 and 2, is located under the roller 76. The pins 82 may be dropped into holes which normally exist in the base of the Union Special sewing machine. Ramp 81 serves as a guide for the chained articles and as a bearing surface for roller 76. In the operation of the embodiment of the invention just described the work piece fed under the presser foot 14 by the conventional feeder mechanism 15 and stitched by the needle 13 slides under the extended teeth 45 of the stationary cutter bar and up the ramp 81 to the roller 76. For each vertical reciprocation of the needle bar 12 the movable cutter bar 41 is reciprocated horizontally through the action of hell cranks 25, 36 and the connecting elements. Bell crank 25 also imparts intermittent rotary motion to plate member 56 which rigidly supports the rotor 59 of the overriding clutch as illustrated in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 5, as the plate member 56 is rotated counter-clockwise the rotor 59 is also rotated counterclockwise. The balls 61 merely slide against the inner surface of casing 58. Casing 58 is held stationary by the bearing 64a which wedges itself between the casing and the corresponding bearing surface of the projection 65 upon any tendency of the casing to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. Sprocket wheel 72 connected to the casing also remains stationary, as does the associated sprocket wheel 73 and roller 76. When the plate member 56 is rotated clockwise, however, on the upward stroke of the needle bar, rotor 59 also rotates clockwise, and the balls 61 are wedged between casing 58 and rotor 59 under the bias of springs 62. The casing, therefore, turns in a clockwise direction along with the rotor and merely displaces bearing 64a against the tension of spring 66. The rotation of the casing 58 causes the driving sprocket wheel 72 to rotate, along with the driving chain 74, driven sprocket wheel 73 and feed roller 76. It can thus be seen that the action of the overriding clutch 57 allows the feed roller 76 to rotate intermittently in the proper direction to feed the chained articles from the machine, in synchrony with the operation of the work feeder 15, but with a greater throw than that of the work feeder 15.

The chained articles indicated in phantom in Figures 1 and 2 are, therefore, fed up the ramp 81 under the feed roller 76, and as the drive speeds of the roller 76 and the conventional feed element 15 are properly correlated, that is, as the drive speed of the feed roller 76 is slightly greater than that of element 15, a tension will be applied to the connecting stitches between successive chained articles as the leading article is accelerated by the roller 76. Since the cutter teeth 43, 45 extend across the plane connecting the work space under the presser foot with the Work space under the feed roller 76, as the connecting stitches are drawn taut they will be drawn upwardly between the depending teeth of the cutter assembly and will be cleanly severed thereby. The lateral extension of member 51 with its series of teeth serves to guide the connecting stitches into the teeth of the cutter assembly, while the lower lateral extension of member 50 guides the chained articles under feed roller 76. The teeth 45 of the stationary cutter bar, depending below those of the reciprocating cutter bar, deflect the chained articles and prevent their entering the cutter assembly, where they might be damaged. As the leading article is severed from its successors, the tension between successive chained articles will be released, and the leading article will be quickly fed out of the machine, where it may be dropped into a hopper or removed by hand.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be appreciated that the details of elements of the new combination may be modified within the broader aspects of the invention, and it is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments herein described are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

1 claim:

1. In a sewing machine of the type having a removable head cover plate, a base surface, and a work feeder mechanism, an attachment comprising a special head cover plate having a means for mounting said special plate on said machine, a cutter assembly mounted on said special cover plate and depending therefrom to a point above said base surface adjacent the exit side of said feeder mechanism when said special plate is mounted on said machine, an additional feeder mechanism, said additional feeder mechanism being mounted on said special cover plate and depending therefrom to a level above the level of said cutter assembly, with the cutter assembly intermediate said feeder mechanisms when said special cover plate is mounted on said machine, and means for lifting work from the level of said work feeder mechanism to the level reached by said additional feeder mechanism.

2. The attachment of claim 1, wherein said cutter mechanism comprises a thread severing device and means for operating said severing device from said sewing machine.

3. The attachment of claim 2, wherein said additional feeder mechanism comprises a rotary device, and means for operating said device from said sewing machine.

4. The attachment of claim 3, wherein said severing device operating means and said rotary device operating means comprise means for operating said devices unitarily.

5. The attachment of claim 1, wherein said cutter assembly includes a reciprocatory clipper member, and said additional feeder mechanism includes an intermittent unidirectional rotary member.

6. The attachment of claim 1, said sewing machine including a needle and a needle operator, and said attachment comprising means for operating said cutter assembly and said additional feeder mechanism from said needle operator.

7. In combination with a sewing machine for stitching a series of articles and joining them together by connecting threads, said machine having a base surface, an article feeder mechanism operative adjacent said base surface and a stitching mechanism in proximity to said feeder mechanism; a cutter mechanism mounted above said base surface and having cutter elements spaced from said surface on the exit side of said feeder mechanism,

auxiliary feeder means for advancing said articles beyond said cutter mechanism, and means for moving said connecting threads upward into engagement with said cutter elements, said cutter mechanism including means for guiding said articles around said cutter elements and means for guiding said threads into cutting position with respect to said elements. 7

8. In combination with asewing machine for stitching a series of articles and joining them together by com necting threads, said machine having a base surface, an article feeder mechanism operative adjacent said base surface and a stitching mechanism in proximity to said feeder mechanism; a cutter mechanism mounted above said base surface and having cutter elements spaced from said surface on the exit side of said feeder mechanism, auxiliary feeder means for advancing said articles beyond said cutter mechanism, and means for moving said connecting threads upward into engagement with said cutter elements, said thread moving means including means for raising said articles to a level above said base surface higher than said cutter elements, and said auxiliary feeder means including means for applying a tensile force to said threads.

9. In combination with a sewing machine for stitching a series of articles and joining them together by connecting threads, said machine having a base surt'ace, an article feeder mechanism operative adjacent said base surface and a stitching mechanism in proximity to said feeder mechanism; a cutter mechanism mounted above said base surface and having cutter elements spaced from said surface on the exit side of said feeder mechanism, auxiliary feeder means for advancing said articles beyond said cutter mechanism, and means for moving said connecting threads upward into engagement with said cutter elements, said auxiliary feeder means including a roller mounted above said base Surface higher than said cutter elements in the path of-the articles fed from said feeder mechanism and on the opposite side of said cutter mechanism with respect to said feeder mechanism, and said thread moving means comprising a cooperating article guide mounted on said base surface below said roller,'means urging said roller against said guide, and means for causing said roller to apply a tensile force to said threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 265,313 Foote Oct. 3, 1882 1,748,904 Sanderson Feb. 25, 1930 2,268,414 Meyer Dec. 30, 1941 2,376,417 Chudner May 22, 1945 2,426,026 Kehrer Aug. 19, 1947 2,508,236 Enos May 16, 1950 2,704,988 Rosenbloom Mar. 29, 1955 

